CVE-2019-25757: Joomla vWishlist SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25757 Overview

CVE-2019-25757 is an SQL injection vulnerability in the Joomla vWishlist 1.0.1 extension, a wishlist component built for the VirtueMart e-commerce platform. The flaw resides in how the component handles the vproductid and userid parameters submitted through POST requests. Authenticated attackers can inject crafted SQL payloads into these parameters to execute arbitrary queries against the backend database. Successful exploitation exposes sensitive database information, including database names and version strings. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can extract sensitive database contents from Joomla sites running vWishlist 1.0.1 by injecting SQL into the vproductid and userid POST parameters.

Affected Products

Joomla vWishlist 1.0.1 (VirtueMart wishlist extension)
Joomla CMS installations bundling vWishlist 1.0.1
WDM Tech vWishlist component distributed via the Joomla Extensions Directory

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-19 - CVE-2019-25757 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25757

Vulnerability Analysis

The vWishlist 1.0.1 component fails to sanitize user-controlled input before incorporating it into SQL statements. When the component processes POST requests targeting wishlist operations, the vproductid and userid parameters are concatenated directly into database queries. This pattern allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses. Because the injection point requires an authenticated session, the attacker must hold a valid low-privilege account on the target Joomla site. Once authenticated, the attacker can issue UNION-based or boolean-based payloads to enumerate the underlying MySQL or MariaDB schema, retrieve the database version, and exfiltrate stored records.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of parameterized queries or input validation around the vproductid and userid request parameters. The component builds SQL statements through string concatenation instead of using prepared statements or the Joomla database API's safe binding methods. As a result, any special SQL characters passed in these parameters are interpreted as query syntax rather than data values.

Attack Vector

An attacker first authenticates to the Joomla front end as a registered user. The attacker then sends a POST request to the vWishlist component endpoint with a malicious payload placed in either the vproductid or userid parameter. The injected SQL executes within the database context used by the Joomla application, allowing the attacker to read information from any table accessible to that database user. Public proof-of-concept exploitation details are available at Exploit-DB #46225 and the VulnCheck Joomla vWishlist SQL Injection Advisory.

No verified exploit code is reproduced here. Refer to the linked advisories for technical proof-of-concept details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25757

Indicators of Compromise

POST requests to the vWishlist component containing SQL syntax such as UNION SELECT, SLEEP(, information_schema, or comment markers like -- and # in the vproductid or userid parameters.
Web server access logs showing repeated requests to vWishlist endpoints from a single authenticated session with abnormal parameter values.
Unexpected database errors or extended response times correlated with POST requests to the wishlist component.

Detection Strategies

Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) signature that inspects POST bodies for SQL metacharacters in the vproductid and userid parameters.
Enable MySQL or MariaDB general query logging temporarily and review queries originating from the Joomla database account for UNION, information_schema, or unbalanced string literals.
Correlate Joomla user authentication events with subsequent wishlist component requests to identify low-privilege accounts probing for injection.

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on HTTP 500 responses returned by the vWishlist component, which often indicate failed injection attempts.
Monitor the volume of POST requests per session to the wishlist endpoint and flag sessions exceeding normal user behavior.
Track outbound database queries that reference system tables such as information_schema.tables or mysql.user from the Joomla application user.

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25757

Immediate Actions Required

Remove or disable the vWishlist 1.0.1 extension from any Joomla installation until a vendor-supplied fix is verified.
Restrict the database user assigned to Joomla to only the tables required for normal operation, removing access to information_schema where possible.
Audit existing user accounts and revoke registrations created by unknown or suspicious actors that could be used for authenticated exploitation.

Patch Information

No vendor patch has been published in the referenced advisories. Administrators should monitor the WDM Tech vendor site and the Joomla Extensions Directory listing for an updated release. Until a fixed version is available, removal of the component is the recommended remediation.

Workarounds

Deploy a WAF rule that blocks POST requests to the vWishlist component containing SQL metacharacters in the vproductid and userid parameters.
Disable public user registration on the affected Joomla site to prevent attackers from obtaining the authenticated session required for exploitation.
Place the vWishlist component behind additional access controls, such as IP allowlisting or HTTP basic authentication, while a permanent fix is unavailable.

bash

# Example ModSecurity rule to block SQL metacharacters in vWishlist parameters
SecRule ARGS:vproductid|ARGS:userid "@rx (?i)(union(\s|/\*.*\*/)+select|information_schema|sleep\s*\(|--|#)" \
    "id:1925757,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,msg:'CVE-2019-25757 vWishlist SQLi attempt'"